Thicke’s Estate Shows Importance of Properly Drafted and Updated Estate Plans

June 15, 2018
In the 1980s, the late actor Alan Thicke played the wise-but-hip father figure and psychiatrist Dr. Jason Seaver in the sitcom Growing Pains. Following Alan’s sudden death in December 2016, with his children and widow battling over his estate, one can only wonder what sage advice Dr. Seaver would have had for Thicke’s heirs. Alan…
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3 Key Benefits of Conscious Uncoupling

March 23, 2018
The concept of conscious uncoupling, or conscious divorce, has been around for decades in the psychotherapy community. However, the actual term “conscious uncoupling” was thrust into the mainstream lexicon in 2014, when Gwyneth Paltrow used it to publicly announce that she and husband Chris Martin were separating. Since then, the term has been used extensively…
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Common Estate Planning Issues for a Second (or More) Marriage

February 23, 2018
These days, second and even third marriages are fairly commonplace. And the estate planning issues that arise from multiple marriages can be highly complex and confusing. Merging two families into one presents unique legal and financial challenges that can cause significant conflict and distress unless effective estate planning has been put into place early on.…
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How Legal Planning Helps Build a Strong Blended Family

September 22, 2017
Yours, mine and ours … in today’s modern family, it’s oh so common. The blended family is the product of 2nd (or more) marriages, in which one or more of the parties comes with children from a prior marriage. And then, they may even go on to have children together. If you have or are…
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Defining the Legal Relationship Between Grandparents and Their Grandchildren

April 21, 2017
Raising a grandchild (or even spending a lot of time with your grandchild while his or her parents work) can be fraught with legal and financial complications. Lacking many of the inherent rights parents have, grandparents who are responsible for the care of their grandchildren may encounter unexpected legal challenges. Even if you are your…
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(Re)Defining Family: Estate Planning for the Post-Nuclear Family

February 3, 2017
Blended families, unmarried couples, assistive reproductive technology (ART) and same-sex unions and marriages challenge the traditional concept of “family” as it’s been known for legal purposes up until now. Significant changes in the way we define family culturally means more families are left without the valuable protection they need, in the event of a death…
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Legal Rights of Grandparents: In Honor of National Grandparents Day

September 9, 2016
When all is ideal in a family, the bond between grandparent and child is a special one. Maybe you’ve even heard that grandparenting is the grand reward for parenting. But what happens when the grandparent becomes the parent? Or when parents’ divorce or one parent dies and a grandparents’ visitation rights are taken away? This…
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Kelly Clarkson Starts Blended Family: What She Needs to Consider

July 1, 2016
Starting a new family is always exciting and even a tad scary. This natural apprehension can be enhanced when a couple creates a blended family. Bringing children from different parents together presents challenges – and those challenges are multiplied when the couple have new children of their own. Former American Idol star Kelly Clarkson recently…
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Life Is Multifaceted: Teach a Child to Be Open and Embrace Complexities

June 24, 2016
When you picture a “normal” family, what do you see? Is it the traditional notion of one male parent and one female parent, two kids, and a family pet? Or do you see something different? Or perhaps you reject the notion of a “normal” family altogether? Recent court and legislative activity have opened the institution…
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Are You Leaving Your Retirement Account at Risk Due to Poor Planning?

May 6, 2016
You’ve spent your entire life building up your retirement account. It may even be the biggest asset you’ll leave behind for the people you love. If that’s the case, you may want to consider creating a special trust designed specifically to receive your retirement account assets in the event of your death. If you leave…
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Blended Family Issues

The Importance of Customized Estate Planning for LGBTQ+ Relationships – Part 2

Last week we started the discussion of why it’s so important for LGBTQ+ families to invest in custom estate planning. While major strides for LGBTQ+ rights have been made in recent years, estate planning law is still written with hetero,…

The Importance of Customized Estate Planning for LGBTQ+ Relationships – Part 1

June is a time of celebration and reflection for the LGBTQ+ community as Pride Month shines a spotlight on the progress made in the fight for equal rights. While significant strides have been made, such as the legalization of same-gender…

How Estate Planning Can Bring Blended Families Closer

Yours, mine and ours … in today’s modern family, it’s oh so common. The blended family is the product of 2nd (or more) marriages, in which one or more of the parties comes with children from a prior marriage. And…

Just Married? 6 Estate Planning Essentials for Newlyweds—Part 2

As we head into the peak of wedding season, if you are a newlywed or are about to tie the knot, add “estate planning” to your do list. And yes, we imagine that at this happiest time of your life,…

Just Married? 6 Estate Planning Essentials for Newlyweds—Part 1

As we head into the peak of wedding season, if you are a newlywed or are about to tie the knot, add “estate planning” to your do list. And yes, we imagine that at this happiest time of your life,…

Aretha Franklin’s Estate Planning Haunts Her Family —Part 2

Nearly three years have passed since Aretha Franklin, known as the “Queen of Soul,” died from pancreatic cancer at age 76. When she first passed away in August 2018, her family thought that Aretha died without any estate plan at…

Aretha Franklin’s Estate Planning Haunts Her Family —Part 1

Nearly three years have passed since Aretha Franklin, known as the “Queen of Soul,” died from pancreatic cancer at age 76. At the time, her total fortune was estimated to be worth up to $80 million. Yet due to poor…

Larry King’s Death Highlights Importance of Updating Your Estate Plan—Part 2

Legendary TV and radio host, Larry King, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 23rd, 2021 at age 87. Larry was hospitalized in December due to COVID-19, but he’d recently been moved from the ICU to a…

Larry King’s Death Highlights Importance of Updating Your Estate Plan—Part 1

Legendary TV and radio host, Larry King, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 23rd, 2021 at age 87. Larry was hospitalized in December due to COVID-19, but he’d recently been moved from the ICU to a…

Remarrying In Midlife? Avoid Accidently Disinheriting Your Loved Ones

Today, we’re seeing more and more people getting divorced in middle age and beyond. Indeed, the trend of couples getting divorced after age 50 has grown so common, it’s even garnered its own nickname: “gray divorce.” Today, roughly one in…

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